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Contribution of stocked sauger to the broodstock populations in R.S. Kerr and W.D. Mayo reservoirs on the Arkansas River Navigation System.

W 2800.7 F532r/w no.26
F-50-R-17 2010 c.1
FINAL REPORT
FEDERAL AID GRANT NO. F-50-R-17
Fish Research and Surveys for Oklahoma Waters
PROJECT NO. 26
Contribution of stocked sauger to the broodstock populations
in R.S. Kerr and W.D. Mayo Reservoirs on the Arkansas River
Navigation System
JANUARY 1, 2010 through DECEMBER 31, 2010
OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
FINAL REPORT
State: Oklahoma Grant Number: F-50-R-17
Grant Title: Fish Research for Oklahoma Waters
Project: 26
Project Title: Contribution of stocked sauger to the broodstock populations in R.S. Kerr
and W.D. Mayo Reservoirs on the Arkansas River Navigation System.
Project Leader: Greg Summers
Grant Period: January 1,2010 - December 31, 2010
I. Project Objective: To increase electro fishing catch rates of sauger <300 mm in the
Arkansas River at ODWC collection sites following stocking of fingerlings over two
years.
II. Summary of Progress
A. Introduction
Sauger have become an important fish species in Oklahoma during the last few decades
due to the popularity of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's (ODWC)
saugeye stocking program and anglers discovering sauger make excellent table fare.
Although populations currently appear stable in Oklahoma, several threats to successful
recruitment exist. Commercial navigation on the Arkansas River (McClellan-Kerr
Navigation System) is maintained through a system of locks and dams. Construction of
the system in the 1970's destroyed much of the sauger's natural spawning habitat. Other
states have reported sauger population declines related to loss of river habitat or barriers
to migration. Sauger broodstock for ODWC's sauger x walleye hybrid program is
collected below these dams on the navigation system. Flow from hydroelectric
operations is a strong attractant to the species and the fish become more accessible for
collection during those times. Turbine maintenance, causing significant reduction in
flows, during the sauger spawning season also may have a significant impact on
recruitment and survival. This research project is important for protection of a brood
source for the saugeye fishery and to determine if sauger populations can be impacted
through stockings.
Sauger are native to Oklahoma, found in the Poteau, Illinois, Red, Neosho, and Arkansas
Rivers. Little research on sauger has been conducted in Oklahoma to date. Incidental
catches during routine fall gillnetting conducted by ODWC have been reported, but
population abundance and structure are unknown. Traditionally, a fishery for them
develops at the confluence of the Illinois and Arkansas Rivers during July, August, and
September as the fish seek the cooler waters of the Illinois River. Although underutilized
as a sport fish by anglers in Oklahoma, sauger have become very important to ODWC's
saugeye stocking program.
Sauger broodstock are collected below the Arkansas River dams in eastern Oklahoma in
late February or early March. Numbers collected have varied. ODWC stocked 15,000
sauger fingerlings in the Arkansas River from 2000 to 2002 to augment population size.
However, these stockings were not formally evaluated. Broodstock collection done in
2001 and 2002 indicated that the smaller size groups may have been positively affected
by these stockings. Since the spring of 2002, no sauger have been stocked in the
Arkansas river.
Mature sauger were found to be around 300 mm in the Tennessee River of Alabama.
Average length of age-l males was 269 mm and age-l females was 268 mm (Maceina et
aI1998). Over 30% of the sample collected below Webbers Falls Dam in 2002 was <300
mm in length. During the 2007 broodstock collection, no fish <300mm were recorded, in
2008 only 2% of the sample was <300mm, and in 20098% of the sample was <300mm.
Marking fish with oxytetracycline (OTC) has been conducted for several decades for
determining contribution of stocked fish to the fishery. Walleye marking done in Ohio
(Kayle 1992) identified Mosquito Lake as a fishery supported by stocked walleye. Sixty
five percent and 73% of the fish examined in 1989 and 1998, respectively, had OTC-marked
otoliths.
B. Approach
Data will be collected by electrofishing in February and March during hatchery
broodstock collection and at mid-summer at the confluence of the Illinois and Arkansas
Rivers for two years (2008 and 2009). Total electro fishing time will be a minimum of 6
hours the first year but may be adjusted for 2009 depending on preliminary variability
estimates. Additional data will be collected using standard ODWC fall gill netting
procedures (15 net nights for R.S. Kerr and 10 on W.D. Mayo). Otoliths will be removed
from 10 fish per 25-mm length group. CPUE, relative weights, size structure, and growth
rates will be calculated. Twenty-thousand sauger fingerlings will be marked with
oxytetracycline and stocked into R. S. Kerr Reservoir at Summers Ferry, Gore, Oklahoma
or Gore Landing on the lower Illinois River in 2010 and 20 11. Following stocking, age-l
and age-2 sauger will be checked for OTC marks. Examination of otoliths will be done
at the Oklahoma Fishery Research Laboratory using specific wavelengths of light to
analyze for marks. Percentage of marked fish will be calculated to determine the impact
of the stockings.
C. Results
Sauger were sampled by electrofishing during broodstock collection in February and
March 2008 and 2009, nighttime electrofishing in July 2008, by angling during July and
August 2008 and by gillnetting during November 2008. Lengths, weights, sex, otoliths,
and catch rates were collected on sauger during electro fishing while lengths, sex, and
otoliths were taken from sauger caught by angling. Electrofishing effort was seven units
(IS-minute/unit) on R.S. Kerr and one unit on W.D. Mayo Reservoir in 2008 and 11 units
of effort on R.S. Kerr and 1 unit of effort on W.D. Mayo in 2009. During 2008, 81
sauger were collected by electro fishing from R.S. Kerr, 82 were taken by angling and
gillnet efforts yielded three. Electrofishing efforts on W.D. Mayo Reservoir yielded an
additional eight sauger. In 2009, 119 sauger were collected by electrofishing from R.S.
Kerr and two were taken from W.D. Mayo. No sauger were collected by angling or
gillnetting in 2009. Length and weight data were taken, otoliths were read and the data
forwarded to 0FRL.
In 2008 flood releases through Webbers Falls Dam and R. S. Kerr Dam prevented
electrofishing during parts of February and March. No sauger were collected during
nighttime electro fishing efforts during July at the confluence of the Illinois and Arkansas
Rivers and it was determined that summertime collection should be by angling only. In
2009 the combination of warm water discharges from Tenkiller Reservoir and a change
in the normal electrical generation pattern is suspected to have prevented the summertime
sauger fishery from developing in the lower Illinois River. No sauger were collected
from angling in 2009.
In 2010, sauger hatchery broodstock were collected below Webbers Falls Dam in R.S.
Kerr Reservoir by nighttime electro fishing from mid February through the first of April.
Sauger broodstock were transferred to the Byron State Fish Hatchery. About 480,000 fry
were marked with OTC using a recommended dosage of 700 mg/L. Of these, 200,000
fry were stocked into a hatchery pond for fingerling production, while the remaining
280,000 were stocked into R.S. Kerr Reservoir. In May 98,000 sauger fingerlings were
marked with OTC using the same dosage, providing a double mark, and stocked into R.S.
Kerr Reservoir. An estimated 88,000 fingerlings survived the stocking.
CPUE
In R.S. Kerr the mean catch rate from electrofishing in 2008 was 46.3/hr and in 2009 it
was 18.3/hr. This disparity was thought to be the result of a series of strong cold fronts
that continuously postponed the spawn, making collection by electro fishing difficult.
Age Structure
The oldest sauger found in 2008 was 7 years and in 2009 the oldest sauger was 5 years.
In 2008, over 94% of the sample was age-3 and younger. In 2009 this cohort was 74%
of the sample. The 2004 year class appeared to be very weak, while the 2005 year class
was strong (Figure 1) even though a drought occurred throughout both of those years.
The vast majority of the Age-4 (2005 year class) individuals sampled by spring
electro fishing in 2009 were females (Figure 2). The reason for this skewed sex ratio is
unknown.
Length Frequency
Length frequencies were very comparable in the 2008 and 2009 spring samples, with
most individuals being between 375mm and 475mm (Figures 3 and 4). However, the
2008 sample had more individuals in the 375mm-400mm range than the 2009 sample,
while the 2009 sample had more individuals in the 450mm-475mm range. This was
further evidence of a strong 2005 year class.
Length at age
Length at age was very comparable in the 2008 and 2009 spring samples (Figure 5).
Sauger exhibited extremely fast growth in the Arkansas River system, and appeared to
reach sexual maturity during their second summer, although subsequent growth rates
slowed substantially (Figure 6).
Recommendations
Continue collection attempts using electro fishing and angling
III. Significant Deviations: None
Prepared by: _
Josh Johnston, Fisheries Biologist
Date: ·:So MAR \\
Approved by: ~~---
Fisheries Administration
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
John Stafford I
Federal Aid Coordinator
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
IV. Literature Cited:
Maceina, M.J., P.W. Bettoli, S.D. Finely and V.J. DiCenzo. 1998. Analysis of the Sauger
Fishery with Simulated Effects of a Minimum Size Limit in the Tennessee River
of Alabama. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Vol. 18, No.1,
February 1998.
Kayle, K.A., 1992. Use of Oxytetracycline to determine the Contribution of Stocked
Walleye Fingerlings. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Vol. 12,
No.2, Spring 1992.
Figure 1. Age distribution of sauger sampled in 2008 and 2009 by spring electrofishing.
.!!! 60 ro
::E::l 50 :::- :0 40
.-.c•.:. 30
0•... .DOJ. 20
:E::l 10
Z a
Age Distribution of Sauger Caught by
Electrofishing Spring 2008 and 2009
53
II2008
1IIl2009
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Age in Years
Figure 2. Differences in age distribution of male and female sauger sampled by spring
electro fishing in 2009.
~~ 25
~ 20
:g 15
'•0.. 10
~ 5
E:
l 0
Z
Age Distribution of Male and Female
Sauger Caught by Spring Electrofishing
2009
Age-l Age·2 Age-3 Age·4 Age-S
Age in years
iii Male
IIFemale
Figure 3. Length frequency of sauger caught by spring electrofishing in 2008.
Length Frequency of Sauger Caught by
Spring Electrofishing 2008
V\ 19
:"''0r:50ol 2150
..r•.:. 10
(.0l.). 5 1 .0E
;:j 0 z
length in rnm
Figure 4. Length frequency of sauger caught by spring electrofishing in 2009.
length Frequency of Sauger Caught by
Spring Electrofishing 2009
-:7
length in mm
Figure 5. Length at age of sauger caught by spring electrofishing in 2008 and 2009.
Length at Age of Sauger Caught by
Electrofishing Spring 2008 and 2009
600
500
E
E 400 I::
s.•:..
<Ul
C
•<..I.J.•
II 2008
IlIJ 2009
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Age in Years
Figure 6. Length at age of sauger caught by summer angling in 2008.
Sauger Length at Age (angling)
500 "I
400 E
E c 300
s•..:...
0.0 200 c:
<IJ
-" 100
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Age in years

W 2800.7 F532r/w no.26
F-50-R-17 2010 c.1
FINAL REPORT
FEDERAL AID GRANT NO. F-50-R-17
Fish Research and Surveys for Oklahoma Waters
PROJECT NO. 26
Contribution of stocked sauger to the broodstock populations
in R.S. Kerr and W.D. Mayo Reservoirs on the Arkansas River
Navigation System
JANUARY 1, 2010 through DECEMBER 31, 2010
OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
FINAL REPORT
State: Oklahoma Grant Number: F-50-R-17
Grant Title: Fish Research for Oklahoma Waters
Project: 26
Project Title: Contribution of stocked sauger to the broodstock populations in R.S. Kerr
and W.D. Mayo Reservoirs on the Arkansas River Navigation System.
Project Leader: Greg Summers
Grant Period: January 1,2010 - December 31, 2010
I. Project Objective: To increase electro fishing catch rates of sauger <300 mm in the
Arkansas River at ODWC collection sites following stocking of fingerlings over two
years.
II. Summary of Progress
A. Introduction
Sauger have become an important fish species in Oklahoma during the last few decades
due to the popularity of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's (ODWC)
saugeye stocking program and anglers discovering sauger make excellent table fare.
Although populations currently appear stable in Oklahoma, several threats to successful
recruitment exist. Commercial navigation on the Arkansas River (McClellan-Kerr
Navigation System) is maintained through a system of locks and dams. Construction of
the system in the 1970's destroyed much of the sauger's natural spawning habitat. Other
states have reported sauger population declines related to loss of river habitat or barriers
to migration. Sauger broodstock for ODWC's sauger x walleye hybrid program is
collected below these dams on the navigation system. Flow from hydroelectric
operations is a strong attractant to the species and the fish become more accessible for
collection during those times. Turbine maintenance, causing significant reduction in
flows, during the sauger spawning season also may have a significant impact on
recruitment and survival. This research project is important for protection of a brood
source for the saugeye fishery and to determine if sauger populations can be impacted
through stockings.
Sauger are native to Oklahoma, found in the Poteau, Illinois, Red, Neosho, and Arkansas
Rivers. Little research on sauger has been conducted in Oklahoma to date. Incidental
catches during routine fall gillnetting conducted by ODWC have been reported, but
population abundance and structure are unknown. Traditionally, a fishery for them
develops at the confluence of the Illinois and Arkansas Rivers during July, August, and
September as the fish seek the cooler waters of the Illinois River. Although underutilized
as a sport fish by anglers in Oklahoma, sauger have become very important to ODWC's
saugeye stocking program.
Sauger broodstock are collected below the Arkansas River dams in eastern Oklahoma in
late February or early March. Numbers collected have varied. ODWC stocked 15,000
sauger fingerlings in the Arkansas River from 2000 to 2002 to augment population size.
However, these stockings were not formally evaluated. Broodstock collection done in
2001 and 2002 indicated that the smaller size groups may have been positively affected
by these stockings. Since the spring of 2002, no sauger have been stocked in the
Arkansas river.
Mature sauger were found to be around 300 mm in the Tennessee River of Alabama.
Average length of age-l males was 269 mm and age-l females was 268 mm (Maceina et
aI1998). Over 30% of the sample collected below Webbers Falls Dam in 2002 was <300
mm in length. During the 2007 broodstock collection, no fish <300mm were recorded, in
2008 only 2% of the sample was <300mm, and in 20098% of the sample was <300mm.
Marking fish with oxytetracycline (OTC) has been conducted for several decades for
determining contribution of stocked fish to the fishery. Walleye marking done in Ohio
(Kayle 1992) identified Mosquito Lake as a fishery supported by stocked walleye. Sixty
five percent and 73% of the fish examined in 1989 and 1998, respectively, had OTC-marked
otoliths.
B. Approach
Data will be collected by electrofishing in February and March during hatchery
broodstock collection and at mid-summer at the confluence of the Illinois and Arkansas
Rivers for two years (2008 and 2009). Total electro fishing time will be a minimum of 6
hours the first year but may be adjusted for 2009 depending on preliminary variability
estimates. Additional data will be collected using standard ODWC fall gill netting
procedures (15 net nights for R.S. Kerr and 10 on W.D. Mayo). Otoliths will be removed
from 10 fish per 25-mm length group. CPUE, relative weights, size structure, and growth
rates will be calculated. Twenty-thousand sauger fingerlings will be marked with
oxytetracycline and stocked into R. S. Kerr Reservoir at Summers Ferry, Gore, Oklahoma
or Gore Landing on the lower Illinois River in 2010 and 20 11. Following stocking, age-l
and age-2 sauger will be checked for OTC marks. Examination of otoliths will be done
at the Oklahoma Fishery Research Laboratory using specific wavelengths of light to
analyze for marks. Percentage of marked fish will be calculated to determine the impact
of the stockings.
C. Results
Sauger were sampled by electrofishing during broodstock collection in February and
March 2008 and 2009, nighttime electrofishing in July 2008, by angling during July and
August 2008 and by gillnetting during November 2008. Lengths, weights, sex, otoliths,
and catch rates were collected on sauger during electro fishing while lengths, sex, and
otoliths were taken from sauger caught by angling. Electrofishing effort was seven units
(IS-minute/unit) on R.S. Kerr and one unit on W.D. Mayo Reservoir in 2008 and 11 units
of effort on R.S. Kerr and 1 unit of effort on W.D. Mayo in 2009. During 2008, 81
sauger were collected by electro fishing from R.S. Kerr, 82 were taken by angling and
gillnet efforts yielded three. Electrofishing efforts on W.D. Mayo Reservoir yielded an
additional eight sauger. In 2009, 119 sauger were collected by electrofishing from R.S.
Kerr and two were taken from W.D. Mayo. No sauger were collected by angling or
gillnetting in 2009. Length and weight data were taken, otoliths were read and the data
forwarded to 0FRL.
In 2008 flood releases through Webbers Falls Dam and R. S. Kerr Dam prevented
electrofishing during parts of February and March. No sauger were collected during
nighttime electro fishing efforts during July at the confluence of the Illinois and Arkansas
Rivers and it was determined that summertime collection should be by angling only. In
2009 the combination of warm water discharges from Tenkiller Reservoir and a change
in the normal electrical generation pattern is suspected to have prevented the summertime
sauger fishery from developing in the lower Illinois River. No sauger were collected
from angling in 2009.
In 2010, sauger hatchery broodstock were collected below Webbers Falls Dam in R.S.
Kerr Reservoir by nighttime electro fishing from mid February through the first of April.
Sauger broodstock were transferred to the Byron State Fish Hatchery. About 480,000 fry
were marked with OTC using a recommended dosage of 700 mg/L. Of these, 200,000
fry were stocked into a hatchery pond for fingerling production, while the remaining
280,000 were stocked into R.S. Kerr Reservoir. In May 98,000 sauger fingerlings were
marked with OTC using the same dosage, providing a double mark, and stocked into R.S.
Kerr Reservoir. An estimated 88,000 fingerlings survived the stocking.
CPUE
In R.S. Kerr the mean catch rate from electrofishing in 2008 was 46.3/hr and in 2009 it
was 18.3/hr. This disparity was thought to be the result of a series of strong cold fronts
that continuously postponed the spawn, making collection by electro fishing difficult.
Age Structure
The oldest sauger found in 2008 was 7 years and in 2009 the oldest sauger was 5 years.
In 2008, over 94% of the sample was age-3 and younger. In 2009 this cohort was 74%
of the sample. The 2004 year class appeared to be very weak, while the 2005 year class
was strong (Figure 1) even though a drought occurred throughout both of those years.
The vast majority of the Age-4 (2005 year class) individuals sampled by spring
electro fishing in 2009 were females (Figure 2). The reason for this skewed sex ratio is
unknown.
Length Frequency
Length frequencies were very comparable in the 2008 and 2009 spring samples, with
most individuals being between 375mm and 475mm (Figures 3 and 4). However, the
2008 sample had more individuals in the 375mm-400mm range than the 2009 sample,
while the 2009 sample had more individuals in the 450mm-475mm range. This was
further evidence of a strong 2005 year class.
Length at age
Length at age was very comparable in the 2008 and 2009 spring samples (Figure 5).
Sauger exhibited extremely fast growth in the Arkansas River system, and appeared to
reach sexual maturity during their second summer, although subsequent growth rates
slowed substantially (Figure 6).
Recommendations
Continue collection attempts using electro fishing and angling
III. Significant Deviations: None
Prepared by: _
Josh Johnston, Fisheries Biologist
Date: ·:So MAR \\
Approved by: ~~---
Fisheries Administration
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
John Stafford I
Federal Aid Coordinator
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
IV. Literature Cited:
Maceina, M.J., P.W. Bettoli, S.D. Finely and V.J. DiCenzo. 1998. Analysis of the Sauger
Fishery with Simulated Effects of a Minimum Size Limit in the Tennessee River
of Alabama. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Vol. 18, No.1,
February 1998.
Kayle, K.A., 1992. Use of Oxytetracycline to determine the Contribution of Stocked
Walleye Fingerlings. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, Vol. 12,
No.2, Spring 1992.
Figure 1. Age distribution of sauger sampled in 2008 and 2009 by spring electrofishing.
.!!! 60 ro
::E::l 50 :::- :0 40
.-.c•.:. 30
0•... .DOJ. 20
:E::l 10
Z a
Age Distribution of Sauger Caught by
Electrofishing Spring 2008 and 2009
53
II2008
1IIl2009
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Age in Years
Figure 2. Differences in age distribution of male and female sauger sampled by spring
electro fishing in 2009.
~~ 25
~ 20
:g 15
'•0.. 10
~ 5
E:
l 0
Z
Age Distribution of Male and Female
Sauger Caught by Spring Electrofishing
2009
Age-l Age·2 Age-3 Age·4 Age-S
Age in years
iii Male
IIFemale
Figure 3. Length frequency of sauger caught by spring electrofishing in 2008.
Length Frequency of Sauger Caught by
Spring Electrofishing 2008
V\ 19
:"''0r:50ol 2150
..r•.:. 10
(.0l.). 5 1 .0E
;:j 0 z
length in rnm
Figure 4. Length frequency of sauger caught by spring electrofishing in 2009.
length Frequency of Sauger Caught by
Spring Electrofishing 2009
-:7
length in mm
Figure 5. Length at age of sauger caught by spring electrofishing in 2008 and 2009.
Length at Age of Sauger Caught by
Electrofishing Spring 2008 and 2009
600
500
E
E 400 I::
s.•:..